Week of Aug 13-20: I'm Starting To Warm Up!

This week has been so hectic, but then again I'm thinking every week will be on my mission!

 

Okay, where to begin. Well, I guess I can begin with the people that I've been working with.

 

Elder Wainwright and I have really warmed up to each other and we realize each others' strengths and weaknesses, and we are finally starting to plan effectively with each other. Usually I let him do all the planning because I didn't know what to do, but whatever I felt prompted to say to him, he'd say "yeah I was thinking the same thing." So its awesome to let the spirit guide my planning and working.

 

The other day we went to Uckfield, which is like a billion miles away. Since its so far there's almost no work done there at all... Anyways, we had to walk in the heat (yeah, it was hot that day!) for like 3 or 4 hours because our appointments kept falling through and we couldn't bring our bikes on the bus. But we did see some weird South African family, who basically only lets us in because Elder Wainwright is also from South Africa, and they just talked about it all day. THey're inactive, mostly because of the husband. I've met with 3 or 4 families where the only thing keeping the whole family strong in the church is the dad. What the heck? I firmly believe that men are way more easily thrown off track from the gospel than women, at least from what I've seen. Its so sad seeing a father not apart of the church, and just thinking "What if their kid needs a blessing, he can't even give his own son/daughter one... He has to call someone else up..." its just so sad! I'm glad dad is strong in the church with you guys back home, and that he gives blessings all the time. The Priesthood is a huge blessing from God, we should never forget that.

 

Anyways, on the bus to uckfield, which was like an hour long, there was this weirdo getting on the bus! Like literally, cookoo crazy. he jsut kept saying "Friday, the first of january! Friday, its new years day! Its 1993!!" And I was about to bust out laughing. It was so random! And he kept yelling it. Poor guy, haha. A lot of the people here in our area work at care homes for old or disabled people. like at least 80% of our investigators work in that field. Its kind of odd.

 

Okay so anyways, here's something that has been getting on my nerves. Elder Wainwright eats his ham sandwiches with Margarine and Cream Cheese. I told him thats gross and he just calls me picky... What the heck?! Please, anyone, and everyone from home, try convincing him that in America we eat sandwiches with either Mayonnaise or Miracle whip, not with Butter (or margarine) and Cream Cheese... He thinks that since I'm from Nevada I don't know what everyone else likes in the rest of the states. But I'm sure that I've never been to a subway where they spread Margarine on your sandwich with cream cheese. That is just disgusting.

 

The food here is really nice, I haven't yet had something that's been entirely disgusting. Apparently curry is a huge thing here and that everyone eats it, but I haven't had any curry yet... I'm thinking their idea of curry is different than ours.

 

A weird thing was, at this ward picnic the other day, we were all playing frisbee and football (soccer) and forgot about dinner. Sister Lambert (Ward Mission Leader's wife) yelled "Elders, your tea is getting cold!" so I ran over and I said "my tea is getting cold? What tea?" Apparently they call dinner here Tea. What the heck?! So when you're having a quick meal or something for dinner, you call it tea. Haha what the heck?

 

I have 3 minutes on the computer and I forgot to write Catelyn... Sorry cates!!! But here's a shoutout to you in my bulk letter! Love you! And hope work is going well for you, and that the dogs aren't driving you entirely insane. How are they anyways?

 

Well i have to go. Love you all!

 

-Elder Skyler Blumenthal

 

(Next week I'm going to upload some pictures and videos I'm sure you'll all love.)